People v. Watts

91 Cal. Rptr. 2d 1, 76 Cal. App. 4th 1250, 99 Daily Journal DAR 12537, 1999 Cal. App. LEXIS 1084
CourtCalifornia Court of Appeal
DecidedNovember 23, 1999
DocketA083194
StatusPublished
Cited by46 cases

This text of 91 Cal. Rptr. 2d 1 (People v. Watts) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering California Court of Appeal primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
People v. Watts, 91 Cal. Rptr. 2d 1, 76 Cal. App. 4th 1250, 99 Daily Journal DAR 12537, 1999 Cal. App. LEXIS 1084 (Cal. Ct. App. 1999).

Opinion

Opinion

STEIN, J.

A jury found that Mango Watts had committed second degree robberies of Eva Birrueta and Christina Gulutz (Pen. Code, § 211), attempted second degree robberies of Cheryl Bishop and Sonia Marin (Pen. Code, §§211, 664) and assault with a firearm against all four women (Pen. Code, § 245, subd. (a)(2)). The jury further found true allegations that Watts had been armed with a firearm during the commission of all the offenses (Pen. Code, § 12022, subd. (a)(1)), and that Watts personally had used a firearm in committing the offenses against Cheryl Bishop (Pen. Code, §§ 1203.06, subd. (a)(1), 12022.5, subd. (a)(1)).

Watts appeals from the judgment entered upon the jury’s verdict.

Statement of Facts

At approximately midnight on September 3, 1995, three men entered a Lyons restaurant and lounge. Between them they robbed at gunpoint two employees, Eva Birrueta and Christine Gulutz, and attempted to rob at gunpoint two other employees, Sonia Marin and Cheryl Bishop. The three men later were identified as Mango Watts, Jonathan Shaw and Bobby Dues. The jury determined that appellant, Watts, personally used a firearm in the assault and attempted robbery of Cheryl Bishop, but did not personally use a firearm in connection with the crimes against the other, victims. Appellant does not contend that the evidence fails to support the jury’s findings that he was involved in the crimes or that he was armed, findings that, in light of the evidence, support the conclusion that he personally used a firearm against one of the victims. Appellant claims, however, that the jury erred in finding that he personally used a firearm against Bishop, .as opposed to one of the other victims. We disagree.

*1255 The Evidence

Eva Birrueta

Ms. Birrueta was a hostess at the restaurant. On the night in question, three Black men came into the restaurant together. Ms. Birrueta described one of the men as being about the same height as the prosecutor, and slim. He was dressed in a long black jacket, with the hood pulled up over his face. This man grabbed Birrueta around the neck and face, telling her he wanted the money in the cash register. Birrueta tried to pull away. The man hit her on the back of the neck with a heavy object, knocking her to the floor. Birrueta managed to get away, crawling down a hallway towards the lounge. She saw a second man standing by a computer machine that he apparently took to be a cash register. The man was dressed much like the first man, in a long black jacket. A restaurant employee, Ms. Marin, was kneeling on the floor next to him. This second man also had a gun, which he was holding to Ms. Marin’s head, trying to get her to open the machine. He struck her with the gun, knocking her to the floor. Ms. Birrueta continued to crawl along the floor to the lounge. There she saw a third man, described by her as slim and about four inches shorter than the prosecutor, dressed like the others, taking money out of the cash register. This man also had a gun, identified by Ms. Birrueta as a black revolver. He was pointing the gun at the bartender, Christine Gulutz. Ms. Birrueta identified appellant, in court, as this third man.

.Cheryl Bishop

Ms. Bishop was the manager of the Lyons restaurant. Shortly before midnight on September 3,1995, Ms. Bishop heard some noise from the bar area. Someone was shouting, “Get down. Get down on the floor.” Ms. Bishop started to go towards the reception area. She saw a man with a black gun. His hands were in the cash register. The man told Ms. Bishop to get down on the floor. She did so, lying on her stomach. A short time later, a man tapped Ms. Bishop on the arm, telling her, “Get up. We’re going to the safe.” This man also had a gun. Ms. Bishop walked in front of the man through the kitchen and into the office. The man told her to open the safe. Ms. Bishop missed the correct combination the first time. The man put his gun against her temple, telling her that he was going to count to five and she had better have the safe opened. A moment later someone yelled, “Come on. Forget it. Let’s get out of here.” The man with Ms. Bishop left. Ms. Bishop was unable to describe either the man who was robbing the cash register in the reception area or the man who took her back to the office. The robbers obtained approximately $1,500 from cash registers in the reception area and the lounge.

*1256 Christine Gulutz

Ms. Gulutz was the bartender at the Lyons restaurant. On the night in question she heard a commotion in the front, and heard a woman scream. A man with a gun ran from the reception area into the lounge. He was Black and dressed in a black parka. The parka may have had a Raiders insignia on it. The man was several inches shorter than the prosecutor. The man pointed the gun at Ms. Gulutz, telling her to give him the money. Ms. Gulutz opened the register. The man took the money from the register and all the money from a nearby tip jar. He told Ms. Gulutz to get down on the floor, and she did so. The man did not hit or kick her, but he did throw a glass cup by her and threw the tip jar down by her head.

Sonia Marin

Ms. Marin was a waitress at the Lyons restaurant. On September 3, 1995, shortly before midnight, Ms. Marin heard screaming coming from the reception area. A lot of people were running through the restaurant. Ms. Marin began to run, too. A voice behind her said “Get down on the ground.” Ms. Marin continued to run, but another man appeared in front of her. Ms. Marin turned around and got down onto her knees. The man who had told her to get on the ground was Black and dressed in a dark-colored starters jacket, possibly a Raiders jacket. The hood was up. He appeared to be approximately the same height as the prosecutor. He was carrying a black gun with a long barrel. He pointed the gun at Ms. Marin, telling her to give him the money, indicating that she should get money from a nearby “DTS” machine. Ms. Marin told him that the machine had no money. He demanded that she identify the person who had the money. She responded that the lady up front would have it, meaning either the hostess or the manager. The man told Ms. Marin to get up. When she refused, he hit her on the side of the head with the gun and pointed the gun in her face, telling her again to get up. The man followed Ms. Marin to the front where Ms. Marin pointed out Ms. Bishop, who was lying on the ground. The man told Ms. Bishop to get up, and told Ms. Marin to get down. He walked away with Ms. Bishop. A short time later Ms. Marin saw two of the robbers run off.

Dawn McGhie

Ms. McGhie testified that she and a friend, Michelle Jackson, were patrons in the lounge area of the restaurant at the time it was robbed. Ms. McGhie described the robber as somewhat shorter than the prosecutor and dressed in a bulky black starters jacket with a Raiders insignia. He carried a long, flat black gun. At some point, Ms. McGhie saw a second man, taller *1257 than the first, take a woman behind the bar. This man also wore a starters jacket, this one with a Kings logo. The second man was also carrying a long black gun. He yelled at the woman. Ms. McGhie saw him hit the woman on the side of the head with the gun, and kick her after she fell to the ground.

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Cite This Page — Counsel Stack

Bluebook (online)
91 Cal. Rptr. 2d 1, 76 Cal. App. 4th 1250, 99 Daily Journal DAR 12537, 1999 Cal. App. LEXIS 1084, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/people-v-watts-calctapp-1999.